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Hiking Trails Under 5 km near San Francisco

The directory currently contains 73 quality-checked routes matching this guide near San Francisco. Their average mapped distance is 1.8 km and average recorded ascent is 121 m (397 ft); the longest route in the set is 4.8 km.

This subset represents 66% of the 111 quality-checked routes near San Francisco. Its average distance is 1.8 km, compared with 12.6 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 121 m (397 ft), versus 390 m (1,280 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

Every route in this set has a mapped distance of 5 km or less. Time and suitability still depend on ascent, surface and conditions. Within this set, 9 routes (12%) are rated easy, 0 (0%) are rated hard or expert, and 4 (5%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

0.6 km

Corte Madera Creek Trail

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

9 m

Corte Madera Creek Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

0 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Moderate

Dawn Falls Trail

California · United States

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
266 m
Typical duration
51 min
  • Waterfall
  • Lake
Moderate

East Peak Fire Trail

California · United States

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
489 m
Typical duration
1 hr 12 min
  • Mountain
Moderate

Steep Ravine Trail

California · United States

Distance
3.3 km
/ 2.1 mi
Elevation gain
437 m
Typical duration
1 hr 21 min
  • Canyon and gorge
Moderate

Fern Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
240 m
Typical duration
36 min
  • River
Moderate

Corte Madera Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
9 m
Typical duration
8 min
  • River
Moderate

Whispering Creek Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
28 m
Typical duration
22 min
  • River
Moderate

Bootjack Trail

California · United States

Distance
4.2 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
558 m
Typical duration
1 hr 42 min
Cataract Falls is just below Laurel Dell on the northern flank of Mt. Tamalpais.
Moderate

Cataract Trail

California · United States

Distance
4.4 km
/ 2.7 mi
Elevation gain
73 m
Typical duration
1 hr 2 min
Moderate

Collier Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Typical duration
20 min
Moderate

Indian Fire Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
11 m
Typical duration
13 min
Moderate

Temelpa Trail

California · United States

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
50 m
Typical duration
31 min
Moderate

Heather Cutoff

California · United States

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
208 m
Typical duration
45 min
Moderate

Miller Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Typical duration
13 min
Moderate

Stapleveldt Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
239 m
Typical duration
40 min
Moderate

Tucker Trail

California · United States

Distance
2.7 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
382 m
Typical duration
1 hr 8 min
Moderate

Wheeler Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
196 m
Typical duration
28 min
Moderate

Arturo Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
121 m
Typical duration
23 min
Moderate

Benstein Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
112 m
Typical duration
34 min
Moderate

CC Boys Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
122 m
Typical duration
31 min
Moderate

Collier Spring Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
126 m
Typical duration
17 min
Moderate

Harry Allen Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
18 m
Typical duration
11 min
Moderate

International Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
9 m
Typical duration
11 min
Moderate

Lower Berry Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
99 m
Typical duration
18 min
Moderate

Nora Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
46 m
Typical duration
14 min
Moderate

Northside Trail

California · United States

Distance
4.3 km
/ 2.7 mi
Elevation gain
344 m
Typical duration
1 hr 25 min
Easy

Owl Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
100 m
Typical duration
30 min
Moderate

Pilot Knob Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
55 m
Typical duration
21 min
Moderate

Plank Walk Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
58 m
Typical duration
11 min
Moderate

Red Rock Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
81 m
Typical duration
15 min
Moderate

Rock Spring Trail

California · United States

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
95 m
Typical duration
38 min
Moderate

Rocky Point Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
17 m
Typical duration
9 min
Moderate

Simmons Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
83 m
Typical duration
27 min
Moderate

TCC Trail

California · United States

Distance
2.9 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
290 m
Typical duration
1 hr 2 min
Moderate

Tavern Pump Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
7 m
Typical duration
7 min
Moderate

Tucker Cutoff

California · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
85 m
Typical duration
13 min
Moderate

Verna Dunshee Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.0 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
81 m
Typical duration
19 min
Moderate

Vic Haun Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
118 m
Typical duration
21 min
Moderate

Bill Williams Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
49 m
Typical duration
15 min
Moderate

Gertrude Ord Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
93 m
Typical duration
31 min
Moderate

Hoo-Koo-E-Koo Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
80 m
Typical duration
26 min
Moderate

Lower Northside Trail

California · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
105 m
Typical duration
28 min
Moderate

Old Mine Trail

California · United States

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.6 mi
Elevation gain
75 m
Typical duration
19 min

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Dawn Falls TrailCalifornia2.2 km266 m51 minModerateApril to October
Bay Area Ridge Trail - Section 01 - Golden Gate BridgeCalifornia3.1 km60 m44 minModerateApril to October
East Peak Fire TrailCalifornia2.2 km489 m1 hr 12 minModerateApril to October
Steep Ravine TrailCalifornia3.3 km437 m1 hr 21 minModerateApril to October
Fern Creek TrailCalifornia1.1 km240 m36 minModerateApril to October
Corte Madera Creek TrailCalifornia0.6 km9 m8 minModerateApril to October
Whispering Creek TrailCalifornia1.6 km28 m22 minModerateApril to October
Bootjack TrailCalifornia4.2 km558 m1 hr 42 minModerateApril to October
Lagunitas Fire TrailCalifornia2.0 km0 m26 minModerateApril to October
Cataract TrailCalifornia4.4 km73 m1 hr 2 minModerateApril to October

Bay Area Ridge Trail - Section 01 - Golden Gate Bridge, Dawn Falls Trail, Steep Ravine Trail currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

Frequently asked questions

Plan with more confidence

All planning articles →

Choosing a route

How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label

Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.

Read article →

Understanding the map

Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb

Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.

Read article →

Planning your day

Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace

Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.

Read article →

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